Affordable Apartments Open in Linda Vista
Plus: LV Community Garden Ribbon Cutting this Saturday, Jane's Cafe in Mission Valley, Upcoming LVTC Meeting with Councilmember Campillo, Commentary Regarding Fish Tacos, and Civita Concerts
Linda Vista now has 126 more affordable housing units. Last Friday, a crowd gathered on the grounds of the Levant Senior Cottages to celebrate the grand opening of this new 126 unit senior affordable housing development. Guests were allowed to walk around the complex and check out the apartments and all the amenities. The development is located at 6950 Levant Street, on a 4.5 acre site, adjacent to the Linda Vista Community Park and Recreation Center. It is already fully leased and will be available for tenant move-in a couple more weeks.
This attractive complex was built as a result of a partnership between Wakeland Housing and Development, the non-profit group San Diego Kind Corps and the County of San Diego, and was constructed on surplus county land that once housed the county child welfare center. The county is leasing out the property for $1.00 a year. The Levant Senior Cottages complex is the first of 11 affordable housing units in the county scheduled to be built on surplus county land.
Included in the126 units are single-story cottage bungalows and apartment homes in two-story buildings. A walk around the grounds of the development certainly produces a feeling of being in a small, close knit village. Adding to the village concept of the complex are courtyards with benches and tables, a communal kitchen, a laundry room, a community room, and a small dog park. These features hope to encourage lots of social interaction amongst the residents. As mentioned on the Levant Senior Cottages web site, “…studio apartments feature open concept floor plans, premier finishes, energy saving appliances, and air conditioning.” The studio apartments are 350 square feet in size.
At least 20% of the units are designated affordable to seniors 55 and older whose resources are 50% or less of the Area Median Income. All other units will be affordable to seniors with 60% or less of the Area Median Income. Monthly rents will range from $600.00 to $1200.00. Residents of 70 units will have vouchers allowing them to pay only 30% of their income toward rent.
The guests at the grand opening included County Supervisor Monica Montgomery-Steppe and Wakeland CEO Rebecca Louie. They both spoke to the crowd about the importance of providing affordable housing. In her speech, Louie stressed that the current affordable housing crisis “…is solvable if we make it a priority.” She pointed out that the project was able to come to fruition as a result of collaboration between the private sector and government organizations that included state, county and city agencies. The entire project cost 48.8 million dollars.
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This Tuesday the San Diego Union Tribune published an insightful opinion piece by Wakeland CEO Rebecca Louie that addresses the need for more affordable housing units in San Diego. You can read it by clicking here.
Upcoming Community Event this Saturday
Jane’s Cafe: Tasty Food at Reasonable Prices
We were sitting around one recent morning trying to come up with ideas for our next food review. The problem was that we have been running out of places close by, and the meals keep getting more expensive. That very morning I received a text picture from a friend of mine who was vacationing at a ski resort in Canada, of her breakfast that day, avocado toast, with a side arugula salad. It looked so good. So I started to look where I could get an avocado toast. In checking prices, it looked like that was not going to be an inexpensive option. Then we thought we could do bagels. A couple weeks ago our Carnivore Sidekick had brought us bagels from a place called Spill the Beans on Camino de la Reina down in Mission Valley. I checked that place on-line, but then thought I might have a problem writing a story just about a bagel. I also noticed another restaurant in that same area called Gravity Heights. It looked good, but the prices there were even higher. Fortunately, another place in close proximity popped up in my search called Jane’s Café.
I checked out the website and was shocked at how reasonably priced the food was, and how expansive the variety. Steve didn’t really want to go there because it appeared to be in an office building, and he didn’t think it would be the kind of place people would necessarily go if they didn’t work at that site. I looked at their website and discovered it was a family owned café, and that they strived to give guests an enjoyable meal at a reasonable price. They make their food fresh and never use a microwave. They advertise the best coffee in the world (from Italy), Illy caffee. The Yelp reviews seemed excellent, and they had avocado toast, so off we went to have lunch at Jane’s Café.
As mentioned, there are a few new eating establishments at this end of Camino De La Reina, including Spill the Beans, and Gravity Heights, and a not-quite-so-new Shake Shack. At the end of the street is a large parking lot with a very tall office building (591 Camino De La Reina). We went into the building and discovered Jane’s Café is on the first floor, toward the rear. It is a very large, very appealing space with indoor and outdoor dining spaces. The restaurant is open 7 to 3 weekdays.There is a large menu board listing all the items they will serve each day, including specials. You can check the entire menu on-line.
Their breakfast menu includes breakfast sandwiches, breakfast burritos, chilaquiles and omelets, pancakes and waffles. Their lunch menu includes panini, sandwiches, burgers, and wraps, and many of their menu items are vegetarian, so it was easy for us to find what we could eat. They have a refrigerator case with pre-made items, large fruit cups, and salads such as chicken, tuna, etc.. You order at the counter and take a number. Steve ordered Alaska Avocado toast (he beat me to it), at $9.95. and I ordered a Salmon Burger, which cost only $5.95.
Steve said the avocado toast was wonderful. It had tomato, onion, and capers, on whole grain toast, with a fried egg on top. It looked so fresh and healthy, and of course he didn’t let me try it. It also came with a large side of fresh fruit. My salmon burger was excellent. I asked them to hold the tomato, but it had plenty of baby spinach and onion with a tartar sauce on a nice bun. Not only was everything good, but this was the first time we came away with a bill of less than $20 in a long time ($15.95). Their other prices were just as good.
We were lucky enough to run into a regular customer who couldn’t stop singing the praises of this café. She told us she eats there most days of the week and loves it. She showed us a clip that featured the restaurant on a Channel 8 “Cheap Eats” segment, and she said most patrons come there because of the Yelp reviews. I know we will be back. It is spacious enough that you can carry on a conversation with one or a group of people without feeling crowded.
So, give this one a try. You have a nice view of the cars buzzing by on SR-163 from your table. The staff is friendly, the place looks brand new, and the food is excellent and reasonably priced. We left happy that we had discovered this great dining establishment. I didn’t try the coffee but will next time.
Upcoming Town Council Event
Commentary
Let Us Now Praise the Fish Taco
San Diegans received the bad news a few days ago. Rubio’s Coastal Grill is closing 48 of its sites here in California, to include 13 in the San Diego area (fortunately for us, the one in Mission Valley remains open). This news was followed up yesterday by word that Rubio’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Both of these developments came as a shock to many locals, especially since Rubio’s is mainly responsible for introducing fish tacos to this region and making the San Filipe, Baja California-originated dish acceptable to a mainstream audience.
Like others in the restaurant/fast food business, the San Diego-based chain seems to be suffering from the impact of the current economy. And many political partisans are quick to point a finger at inflation and/or recent legislation that raised the state’s minimum wage as reasons for Rubio’s financial problems. I am sure these factors played a role, however, I contend that a look around the Linda Vista area and its adjacent communities tells us the very popularity of fish tacos is what forced Rubio’s hand.
Regarding the popular Mexican dish, one thing should be perfectly clear. San Diego County residents love their fish tacos. This wonderful Mexican food item, imported decades ago from across the border by local entrepreneur Ralph Rubio, has over the years become a staple of West Coast Mexican restaurant cuisine, not to mention pub food menus in general. Wherever beer and margaritas are served, you are sure to find fish tacos. You can eat fish tacos at Mr. Peabody’s, for example, and at BJ’s Brewery in Mission Valley. Jane’s Cafe, the Mission Valley establishment we reviewed in today’s issue, serves fish tacos. Nearly every taco truck in the area sells them. The fact is, fish tacos, once the exclusive territory of Rubio’s, have now become ubiquitous. In light of the fish taco’s growth in popularity, what accounts for the seemingly contradictory news of Rubio’s closing of 48 sites?
I guess it all comes down to that essential but harsh ingredient of capitalism…competition. If you can find a good fish taco on nearly every street corner, then you lose your dominance and end up being outmaneuvered by the competition.
This is all bad news for Rubio’s, but great news for the average consumer. Our cup now runneth over with fish tacos; and if you look around, you can usually find relatively inexpensive fish tacos on many a menu. Fish tacos have become food for the common man and woman. In fact, I suggest the title of Aaron Copeland’ famous musical composition should be changed to “Fanfare for the Common Man…and his/her Fish Taco.”
In light of the fish taco’s overall popularity, I say we mourn the loss of so many Rubio’s sites and the accompanying jobs, but rejoice in the growing diversity of our favorite “mainstream” food selections. Check out the nearest farmers market or food truck—in all likelihood you will find some clever entrepreneur is, at this very moment, introducing customers to the latest delicious ethnic food trend. Once the trend catches on, others will eventually try to mimic the success and make a profit on their version of the product as it ascends to take its place in the culinary mainstream. It’s the American Way.
Political strategist James Carville is noted for coming up with the mantra, “It’s the economy, stupid” as a way of motivating Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign to effectively pin the economic recession on President George Bush. Today, I would take that saying and modify it to read “Sometimes it’s the fish taco, amigo” to explain why the economy is not the only reason for recent restaurant closings.
June 6 in U.S. History
We wish to take this day to remember the efforts and sacrifice of all the U.S. service members who participated in the June 6, 1944 D-Day landings on the beaches of Normandy during World War II. The bravery that U.S. and Allied forces demonstrated on that day and in the months that followed played a key role in ridding Europe of Nazi rule and helping to spread democracy throughout the Continent.
Civita Summer Concert Series Begins
Civita kicks-off its annual summer concert series this Sunday June 9 with a performance by 80’s group BetaMaxx. The concert will take place at the amphitheater located at Civita Park, beginning at 6:00 pm. The concerts are free and open to the public. You can bring your lawn chairs or blankets, or just sit on the grass. Make it a picnic. If you long for the days of Ronald Reagan, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Wham, Pac Man, MTV, and Cabbage Patch Dolls, then you will really enjoy the concert.
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